August 2023

RHEUMATOLOGY

TISSUE-RESIDENT EXTRAVASCULAR LY6C-MONOCYTES ARE CRITICAL FOR INFLAMMATION IN THE SYNOVIUM

In a study recently published in Cell Reports, Northwestern Medicine rheumatologists describe a novel cell type in the joint that they propose contributes to the development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Using a mouse model of inflammatory arthritis, the investigators demonstrate that these cells, termed tissue-resident monocyte-lineage Cells (TR-MC), are distinct from other populations of cells either in circulation or residing in the joint.
 
TR-MC occupy a unique position as long-lived embryonically derived cells in the synovial tissue of the joint while maintaining access to the vasculature. During arthritis, their population greatly expands before the infiltration of other immune cells. These results suggest TR-MC act as gatekeepers, regulating the influx of cells into the joint. Mouse models that limit the expansion of the TR-MC population do not develop arthritis, further supporting the critical role of these cells in disease.
 
Finally, the study identifies analogous cells in the synovial tissue of RA patients. Therefore, TR-MC may provide a biomarker of disease and a possible therapeutic target. Further studies are needed to determine how TR-MC number and function vary across RA patients and how this can be used to improve treatment response.
 
Read the study >

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